Deli Nation,

Our Year End Poll for Emerging NYC Artists was - as usual - a painstaking (and somewhat excruciating) process. 

First, we let the local bands submit their music (for free), and got our Deli editors to pick the nominees. Then we polled a list of 30+ NYC scene expert (our jury, list at the bottom) and asked them to nominate 3 more bands of their choice each. Then we polled our writers, then we polled our readers. We tried to keep things open for each single genre, from Indie Rock to Roots Music to Hip Hop.

If you are a geek interested in all the subtelties related to how this poll works, you can read its rules here (happy reading!). But if all you care about is the awesome new music NYC produced in the year 2012, this list is all you need. Enjoy!

BEST OF 2012 POLL FOR EMERGING NYC ARTISTS - FINAL RESULTS -

ARTIST J W R OS TOT   1 Foxygen 11 2 0.032   13.032 2 Spirit Family Reunion 9 2 0.023   11.023 3 Ambassadors 5 2 0.137   7.137 4 Skaters 3 4 0.046   7.046 5 DIIV 6   0.05   6.05 6 St. Lucia 3 3 0.043   6.043 7 MS MR 5 1 0.035   6.035 8 Apollo Run   1 2 3 6 9 Clementine & The Galaxy   2 0.156 3 5.156 10 Ghost Beach 5   0.045   5.045 11 Hot Sugar   2 0.031 3 5.031 12 Widowspeak   1 0.027   5.027 13 Life Size Maps 3 2 0.024   5.024   Hunters 4 1 0.024   5.024   Lazyeyes 1 1 0.024 3 5.024 16 Anya Skidan 3 2 0.011   5.011 17 Julian Fulton & The Zombie...   1 1 3 5 18 Napoleon 3   0.259 1 4.259 19 Great Elk   1 0.218 3 4.218 20 Black Taxi   2 0.098 2 4.098 21 Mother Feather 3 1 0.058   4.058 22 Flatbush Zombies 3 1 0.047   4.047 23 Conveyor   1 0.046 3 4.046 24 Swear & Shake 1   0.045 3 4.045 25 Nude Beach 4   0.043   4.043 26 Laurel Halo 3 1 0.023   4.023 27 Snowmine 3 1 0.02   4.02 28 Dalton   1 0.019 3 4.019 29 People Get Ready 3 1 0.017   4.017 30 Slothrust     1 3 4   Frances Rose 1   3   4 32 Melissa Czarnik     0.198 3 3.198 33 Modern Rivals   1 0.178 2 3.178 34 Eastern Hollows   1 0.145 2 3.145 35 Cultfever     0.087 3 3.087 36 Los Encantados 3   0.065   3.065 37 Le1f 2 1 0.064   3.064 38 Kiss Slash Crooked Smile     0.037 3 3.037 39 Turkuaz 1 2 0.031   3.031 40 Beast Patrol 2 1 0.027   3.027 41 ARMS   1 0.022 2 3.022 42 Lady Lamb the Beekeeper 2 1 0.02   3.02   Parquet Courts 3   0.02   3.02 44 The Stationary Set 1 2 0.019   3.019 45 James Ferraro 3   0.018   3.018 46 Kids These Days 3   0.015   3.015 47 Psychobuildings 2 1 0.014   3.014 48 Lake Street Dive 3   0.01   3.01 49 Celestial Shore 2 1 0.009   3.009 50 The Lone Bellow 2 1 0.007   3.007 51 Blanche Blanche Blanche 3   0.006   3.006 52 Grand Resort 2 1 0.005   3.005 53 The Henry Millers   1 0.5 1 2.5 54 Sorcha Richardson     0.25 2 2.25 55 The Everymen     0.195 2 2.195 56 Azar Swan 2   0.125   2.125 57 sami.the.great     0.114 2 2.114 58 Delphic Oracle 2   0.105   2.105 59 Derrick & The Black Sea     0.082 2 2.082 60 In One Wind 2   0.076   2.076 61 Avan Lava   1 0.064 1 2.064 62 Frankie Rose 2   0.039   2.039 63 Sleepies 2   0.029   2.029   Lisa Jaeggi     0.029 2 2.029 65 Midnight Magic 2   0.026   2.026 66 Ursa Minor 2   0.025   2.025 67 The Courtesy Tier   1 0.023 1 2.023 68 Ratking 2   0.021   2.021 69 Vassals 2   0.014   2.014 70 Xenia Rubinos 1 1 0.012   2.012   Port St. Willow 2   0.012   2.012   The Ludlow Thieves     0.012 2 2.012 73 Scott and Charlene's Wedding 2   0.008   2.008   Tunetown Philharmonic 2   0.008   2.008 75 Teen 2   0.006   2.006 76 Kiddo 2   0.004   2.004 76 Pony of Good Tidings 2   0.004   2.004 78 Chron Turbine 1   0.5   1.5 79 Ludwig Persik 1   0.293   1.293 80 The Prigs 1   0.161   1.161 81 Lora Faye 1   0.145   1.145 82 Natural Child 1   0.11   1.11 83 The Dough Rollers 1   0.035   1.035 84 The Babies 1   0.031   1.031 85 Big Ups 1   0.024   1.024 86 Ex Cops 1   0.013   1.013   KNTRLR 1   0.013   1.013   Makeout Room 1   0.013   1.013   Wilsen 1   0.013   1.013 90 Sora An 1   0.011   1.011 91 St. Claire 1   0.008   1.008   Weekend 1   0.008   1.008   Swearin' 1   0.008   1.008 94 Empress Of 1   0.007   1.007 Legend: J = Jurors, W = Deli Writers, R = Deli Readers, OS = Open Submissions

List of Jurors: Sebastian Freed (Bowery Presents), Jify Shah, Cameo Gallery), Patrick McNamara (OhMyRockness.com), Steven King (Rock Shop), Andy Bodor (Cake Shop), Heath Miller (Webster Hall), Karen Soskin (Other Music), Brian Chidester (The Village Voice), Free Williamsburg's list of Best albums of 2012, Rami Haykal (Glasslands), Heather D (The Bell House), Dian (Bowery Electric), Alex Rossiter (The Studio), Matt McDonald (CMJ), Steve Trimboli (Goodbye Blue Monday), Max Brennan (Lit), Dana & Amanda (The Delancey), Billy Jones (Pianos), Eric Berrebbi (Arlene's Grocery), Jamie Dominguez (SESAC), Chris Diaz (Knitting Factory), Jennifer Gilson (The Living Room), John (Sycamore), Zack Dinerstein (Spike Hill), Samantha Cox (BMI)

Hope you'll find some awesome new artists you weren't aware of!

The Deli's Staff

This year 28 NYC "scene experts" helped us with our Best of NYC Poll 2012 for Emerging Artists by choosing their 3 favorite up and coming NYC acts. These jurors are comprised of local venue agents and other industry people who work with many local bands throughout the year (full list coming soon). Their votes this year produced a list of 68 artists, which means that - as always - most jurors voted for different bands. But some bands appeared more thans once in the "ballots": below we compiled a list of the artists who accumulated more points through the jurors vote only. Kudos to Foxygen (already on the cover of our 2012 CMJ issue) for getting the top spot.

The Best of NYC 2012 Readers and Fans' Poll - including all the nominees - will start in a few days - stay tuned (since we have one of these polls happening in each scene we cover, we need to schedule them carefully to avoid to overload our server - thanks for your patience!).

ARTIST     1 Foxygen   2 Spirit Family Reunion   3 DIIV   4 Ambassadors   4 Ghost Beach   4 MS MR   7 Hunters

Trends come and go, but some styles seem to always stay relevant. It's true with Spirit Family Reunion, from whom you can expect a classic kind of Americana performed by musicians who know how to pluck a banjo the right way. But what really makes this band stand out is that they don't sound like they're re-inventing anything. When you see them live, the sound is all their own, and the soulful yelps and gospel harmonies in jams like 'I am Following the Sound' and 'On That Day' should convince you of what you've been missing. After a sold out show at Mercury Lounge last Friday (probably also caused by recent coverage on Rolling Stone), the band will be soon leaving for a 2 week East coast tour. - Mike Levine (@Goldnuggets)

Spirit Family Reunion released their 'proper' debut album “No Separation” on June 15th , a follow-up to their widely celebrated self-titled EP. “No Separation” highlights the band’s infectious sound with a blend of bluegrass and gospel revival, poised with soulful honesty. Marked in traditional roots, few New York-based bands can achieve an authentic, banjo-laden country sound while maintaining such an effortless appeal. As of August 31st, they'll be playing a series of shows across Northern Ireland & Ireland, kicking off at Omagh's Bluegrass Festival; however, before they leave, you can catch a last NYC show at Brooklyn's Sycamore on Tuesday (8.21). Read Devon Antonetti's interview with the band here. 

Spirit Family Reunion (#26 in our latest Best of NYC Emerging Artists Year End Poll) is one of those bands seen playing in the subway, in the back of noisy bars, or on busy street corners, going unnoticed to bright lights and mobs of listless pedestrians with their earbuds at full blast. Or at least that’s what their cracked and weathered sound would make you believe. Their songs are drenched in soul and the twang of the banjo, taking the Brooklyn band far beyond the ordinary bluegrass rock group. Traveling as far south as they do north, Sprit Family Reunion are a gospel-infused reminder of everything that makes roots music great. The band ill make their Newport Folk Festival debut this summer but you can catch them in their hometown on May 12 at Mercury Lounge, playing songs from their forthcoming debut album, which they're mixing as we speak. - Devon Antonetti